The Immunological Synapse Balances T Cell Receptor Signaling and Degradation
Lee K-H., Dinner AR., Tu C., Campi G., Raychaudhuri S., Varma R., Sims TN., Burack WR., Wu H., Wang J., Kanagawa O., Markiewicz M., Allen PM., Dustin ML., Chakraborty AK., Shaw AS.
The immunological synapse is a specialized cell-cell junction between T cell and antigen-presenting cell surfaces. It is characterized by a central cluster of antigen receptors, a ring of integrin family adhesion molecules, and temporal stability over hours. The role of this specific organization in signaling for T cell activation has been controversial. We use in vitro and in silico experiments to determine that the immunological synapse acts as a type of adaptive controller that both boosts T cell receptor triggering and attenuates strong signals.